For Anita Kaul Basu, director of Synergy Communications and wife of ace quiz master Siddhartha Basu, life has been full of surprises - some good, some bad... but nonetheless amazingly colorful.

Born in Kashmir, Anita subsequently migrated to Surrey, England where the world seemed to be her oyster.

"The exposure levels were amazing and my parents were adamant that we (my two brothers and I) got the best of that world. However, they made sure we never lost our identities and were Indians first. The growing up years can be fraught with confusion and we had our share of being in that state, but my mother ensured we got huge doses of our Kashmiri rituals, food, Indian film, music etc," says Anita.

Those were the best days of my life...
I have lots of fond memories of my childhood days... from changing two trains and a bus to get to school in the cold winter mornings of London and picking up stacks of Mars bars and lip-smacking pastries along the way... I've done it all.

It was a dilemma everyday for me whether to catch the bus or spend that money on fresh cream puffs and walk three kilometers to school. I was crowned Miss Beautiful and was taken all over London in a open van with a ridiculous crown and ballroom type of dress, wherein I pretended to be Queen of England! In retrospect, all this seems hilarious. Theatre is something that left me spell bound in Britain, where I watched some of the greatest actors perform. I can never forget the mad 70s when I used to stitch my own clothes and crochet my own long fringed jackets.

I was a sportsperson throughout my school and college days. I was the best in my school for the 100 meter hurdles and even now I dream of having the time to run. I was also the captain of the school hockey team.

Life's journey so far...
Most of us think we can circumvent destiny or at least have the power to control it. I am afraid the writing has been done a long time back and one just has to be receptive to the twists and turns of the plot and story and not let the foul patches dictate our entire course.

I graduated and joined the Indian Institute of Mass Communications for a journalism course. Subsequently I joined India Today on the editorial team. I was there for five years before I resigned to look after my first child. I never went back to a full time job, because by 1987, we set up our own company. It's been like that ever since and has been the most amazing learning curve.

For Siddhartha, it was love at first sight...
I came back from England to do my graduation at Miranda House, Delhi University. There I met Mira Nair, who was a year senior to me. She introduced me to Siddhartha. At that time, he was doing a play for the Shakespeare Society of St. Stephen's College where he took me for audition. It was love at first sight for him. We began dating a couple of months later and got married a full eight years after our first meeting. My parents were very apprehensive about this marriage and it took them a long time to accept it. But it's been 24 years and we are still together!

Marriage is a commitment and a responsibility towards each other and to our children, Aditya (21) and Medha (17).

Read, read, read till I sleep...
I'm into the habit of reading at least three books at the same time! It all depends on my mood and how tired I am. But I have to read before my eyes automatically droop. I have had so many favorites - Vikram Seth's An Equal Music; The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari; Sue Townsend's series of Adrian Mole; Shantaram and books authored by Bill Cosby.

No time to travel...
I have not traveled as much as I would have liked to, primarily because of my children, their school schedules and my immovable work schedules. My favorite holiday places are The Glass House on the Ganges, Rishikesh, Paris and Cornwall in England.

I have fond memories of rafting on the Ganges. It was phenomenally exhilarating, life giving and exciting. The Caravan holidays with friends and cousins in England and beach holidays in Goa were also memorable.

It's ridiculous to buy something just for the sake of the brand
I am not a compulsive shopper, although I love the exercise! I have a keen eye and can get the best bargains. I am not a person who will shop at will.

I do not subscribe to brands and I find it ridiculous catering to people who have more money than they can handle and are up against the Joneses. I refuse to buy something just because it's a big brand name. I can understand buying branded electronics or even watches, but clothes and accessories; sorry I stay unmoved by it all!

I am neither the types who gets easily impressed, nor the type who fawns and drops brand names. I do go for quality in some things but I don't think that brands necessarily equate quality. I pick a lot of my clothes from the streets of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok or London. If I like something, I will buy it and not not because I must have it to impress others.

One thing that I am careful about while purchasing is perfumes. My current favorites are Flower by Kenzo and Hypnotic Poison. I stay as faithful as possible to my favorites for a long time. On the shoes front, the best one I have are picked up from London. Again no big brands, but they are comfortable yet stylish. All my summer chappals are from Delhi's Greater Kailash Market or from Bangkok.

Eclectic taste for movies and music...
I love movies and music and have a pretty eclectic taste in both. However, I do not watch science fiction movies and absolutely detest heavy metal and trance music. The movies that have been etched in my mind are, The Shawshank Redemption, all of Audrey Hepburn's films, Kazaz ke Phool, Satya, Bunty Aur Babli and Being Cyrus amongst many others.

Music is my life. I just can't live without rock and roll! I love old Hindi film songs, uplifting classical Indian music as well as western music. Elton John, Phil Collins, Celine Dion are some of my favourite singers.

No discos for me please...
I like to party with friends but either at their home or mine. I don't like discos too much, partly because the music is invariably loud, metallic and staccato. After a while your ears are torn apart and your legs spent dancing on the same spot, since space is always at a premium.

Perceptions change when you allow yourself to see things from a higher plain...
I must admit, I was a non-believer early on in life. Miraculously along the way all that changed. I began to search for answers, look for inner strength and seek certain calmness. I have a high adrenaline rush and am on the go most of the time. I needed to center my restless energy as I was very stressed out.

I have found that the only person who can help you is you! Yes, you need a little bit of help to find the YOU to begin with. I took to Reiki and meditation. This has helped me tremendously. It's an instant de-stressor. I can see now how we exaggerate our problems in our minds. The solutions are simpler than we think. Your perceptions change when you allow yourself to see things from a higher plain. It minimises the problems and makes them easy to tackle.

I meditate everyday without fail. It's my soul curry! Otherwise I stay active running around as I am not prone to just lying around doing nothing. I have to spend the excess energy I have.

I am a 'kattar' meat-eating cannibal
I am not an orgiastic foodie. I need it as fuel. However, I don't mind trying out different cuisine. I am a 'kattar' meat-eating cannibal - Kashmiris cannot live without their one kilo of meat a day! I love Kashmir "tabakmaaz," a fried spare rib delicacy. I love fish and chips made the English way and wrapped in newspaper! And Italian food - all of it!

I do cook but I am a person who hates to spend too much time in the kitchen. I am a karate chop cook - quick cutting, fast cooking and swift clean up. I cook all Kashmiri dishes, bit of Italian and my own Indian food recipes; and when I have time, roast dishes.

Most gizmos leave me completely cold
I am not at all a gizmo freak. It's beyond me to understand and make time to figure out the workings of any gizmo - whether a phone or a computer or the latest technology system. I use gizmos for purely practical purposes.

I love driving and the smaller the car the better. A Ferrari or Lamborghini won't hurt! But, even a Santro is good enough for the Indian roads and great for parking and a zippy drive!

His life has come full circle. He started his career with his family business of film distribution, left it to try his hand at various other trades right from garments to even handling shipments to production. But he is back at it again, this time with Indonesian entertainment baron Raam Punjabi's company PT Parkit Films' Indian distribution arm, Multivision Multimedia India. Just a couple of years ago, he was spearheading Indian media czar Subhash Chandra's forays into the cinema business.

With reason. Gupta believes in giving it all that he has got. He narrates an incident when he was in the shipment business when he chose to stay in the factory till 2 am just because he felt maybe his mere presence would help others work faster and prevent casualness from creeping in.

However, it's a tad difficult to believe that a man who looks all of 40 has a daughter who will turn 24 in October!

A Delhiite by birth he came to Mumbai in 1998 and joined a production house. This was followed by the Essel Group's E-City, where he spread the mutliplex chain in four cities across India before helping Punjabi set up his Indian arm.

We get him to talk about his journey so far, and get to know a lot many hidden secrets about him.

Sporty to the core in school and college?
As long as one is in school or college everything is great but once you are out, the strive begins. I used to be very active in sports. I've played hockey at the national level and table tennis at the state level. Later my passion for sports led me to play games like golf and pool. But now who has the time for all that? It's very rare that I play a frame of pool when I'm out on a trip with friends.

What's cooking today???
I won't call myself a foodie but yes, I do like eating and make it a point to try out different cuisine whenever I am out. I love the exquisite food in Bukhara and the barbecued dishes in Delhi and that's something you can't get anywhere. Very recently, I tried pizzas in La Pizza at the Cannes film festival. They were baked on earthen ovens and had a totally different taste just like the roties made on earthen stoves in villages. Also there is an Algerian restaurant where they serve you starters like kababs and a wholesome full course. I am extremely fond of Chinese cuisine and therefore land up normally at Mainland China, the Chinese restaurant in the Mumbai suburbs.

Normally, I prefer having anything vegetarian. I even like having continental dishes and as a matter of fact I even love cooking, but then everything has to be done by me. On Sundays the lunch menu is fixed comprising Curry chawal (Punjabi Curry).

No Yoga-shoga for me
I try to be regular with my gym routine or go for a walk at times. I wake up at 7.30 am and my day winds up at around 8 pm. I've also tried, what you call, the new life or the alternate healing - Art of Living and Reiki. I don't really believe in Yoga as such. I agree everything has a benefit but it's not often possible to practice everything because it all depends on your conviction.

I don't believe in giving prasad or donations...
I believe there is someone up there who has control over all of us. I am religious but I don't believe in rituals as such. I believe in a private conversation with God even if it's for 10 minutes a day. On Sundays the first three hours are totally devoted to God. I don't believe in giving prasad and donations; instead I would go and help some NGO like CRY or something else on those lines. And I believe that God is with me all the time... I don't search for him. I am not an extreme person, so when one is walking on a moderate line it is very easy to choose which way to go. Therefore I haven't felt his absence till date.

Books lag behind, TV reigns supreme
Very frankly, with the advent of so many channels, the reading habit has taken a back seat. In the past three years I have started reading many books but haven't managed to finish even one. By the time you get back home, seeing something visually is more appealing than a fat book of 400 pages. I read fiction and religious books at times. I usually like reading those books that do not require long attention spans. There are certain stories, which are just 40 pages long but have a great moral. As far as religious books are concerned, I would say, I don't really read mythological books but mostly books on their analysis is what I prefer.

Historical destinations beckon
Though traveling happens quite often but holidays are a far fetched dream now. There are a lot many places left to be visited. My wife is very interested in history so I want to take her to her dream destinations like Egypt, Greece, Cambodia and places, which offer historical background. Apart from that there are so many places in India too where you get a variety of things. Our dream destination in the monsoons used to be this place called Chail, which is 45 kilometers from Shimla. There is a Chail Palace that used to be the summer palace of the Maharaja of Patiala and has now been converted into a hotel. It has four - five cottages and the whole place had hardly 25 shops, a bus stop and a post office. We used to plan a week long trip so that we could utilise the fire place in the evenings and enjoy the cold breeze.

I believe?
Since adulthood I've believed in just one thing - whatever you do, every single thing comes back to you in this one life only.

Ghulam Ali fan
I love listening to yesteryears' music. I have my own collection of Boney M and the likes. I don't mind listening to Indian classical, instrumental and other music of the same era. There was a time when I was hooked on to Ghulam Ali.

As far as movies are concerned I would say, every genre has its own charm. Mackenna's Gold is one such movie. It was made so differently that even today it is fresh in my mind. If I am switching channels in the night and happen to see Sholay, I till date stop and watch it. Lord of The Rings and My Fair Lady are some of my favorites.

A nose only for Davidoff Cool Water
Shopping has become so very easy now with the advent of malls. My personal favourite is InOrbit. A lot of mix and match brands do for me. In perfumes, I prefer only Davidoff Cool Water. I am not very particular about the brand of clothes I wear as long as they are comfortable. As I have been associated with the fashion garment industry, I go in for the cut and fit and not much for the brand.

My priorities have changed
In the last three years, there has been a total shift in my lifestyle. Earlier I was a party animal and had less time for my family but now it has become vice versa. It was more of a conscious choice because with time priorities change and so did mine. Since my profession demands it, I try to catch up more on films now and films have always interested me. Moreover it also becomes a family outing when we go for movies, film festivals and screenings together.

Beautiful Dreams
Ten years from now I wish to be in the Bahamas, holidaying (chuckles). Actually a lot depends on my luck and circumstances. But I do want to own a wooden cottage on a hill where I can hear the sound of running water.

Aparnaa Pande programming head, television division, Zoom tells us that she has learnt a lot from the people around her and she will forever be grateful to her seniors for teaching her so much.

Growing with the industry
I was born and brought up in California but I did my Masters in Business Administration from Pune, Maharashtra. Later, I kickstarted my career with Sony Television and grew with the company. Sony is my home; I've learnt so much from the people out there and I will forever be greatful to my seniors for teaching me so much. New and different things always titillated me, so when I was approached for Zoom in its initial stage I accepted it as it was something different from the mainline media. Basically, Zoom programs portray what is happening in society today and not the daily soap operas.

Fitness funda... or the lack of it
I hardly do anything to keep myself fit. Whenever possible I try to go to the Zaf gym which is at the Versova Link Road to do cardio exercises. I don't do any kind of dieting but yes I make it a point to drink a lot of water every day. Even though I love eating, I avoid having too much. I prefer a Continental cuisine to anything else.

Books have been my all time pals
I grew up with Enid Blyton. But my all time favorite book has been Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exup?ry who was a French author and journalist. This book still has a special place in my book shelf and has stayed with me since years. There are times even today when I pick it up and go through it. Little Prince is a children's book which teaches one that something that looks easy may be tough and vice versa. There is a lot to be learnt in life and the book makes one figure out this truth.

Reading rejuvenates me. With time my collection of books has also grown. I read anything from The Da Vinci Code to autobiographies.

For me holidaying ends in California
With work I hardly get time to unwind and holidays are a rare dream nowadays. Though I have been almost all round the world, I find The United States the best place to be in. And that is not only because I have my family there in California but the place offers a variety of friendly people and scenic beauty all twelve months of the year. Europe is one place I love for its rich historic culture.

Partying happens quite often
I am quite a party person and love freaking out at these Mumbai night clubs with friends. This happens at least twice a week. I love letting my hair down and dancing away to glory.

I prefer a blend of both English and Hindi music
I love music but there is nothing very specific I love listening or I hate listening to but, yes, a blend of both Hindi and English music is what delights me. My choice of songs totally depends on my mood.

My favorite movies keep changing with time
I like both Bollywood as well as Hollywood flicks. In the recent past I loved Black and Brokeback Mountain to a great extent.

I don't believe in going to the temple
I believe in the saying that God lies within a person and therefore I don't really go to the temple as such to pray. I prefer spending time with nature and myself which revitalizes me. I don't do any kind of yoga.

I am a true shopper at heart
Spending time shopping is real fun at times. I prefer to mix and match things from different malls rather than just picking up things from one place at one go. I normally pick up branded stuff.

A quiet evening on the beach side
Though I don't really get to spend time with family, but my idea of a perfect evening would be a calm outing at the beach side with my loved ones.

Living upto the Chopra surname is no mean task. After taking on the mantle from his illustrious & legendary father B R Chopra, Ravi Chopra has defintely emerged onto his own and carved out a niche for himself as a successful filmmaker and a television producer.

When we get Ravi Chopra talking about his father, there's obviously affection and awe in his voice- Very nonchalantly, he says, "though I have come onto my own, dad has always been and will always be a great influence in my life. And this is not just professionally but even in shaping up my values and determining the kind of person. Apart from being a very doting and loving father, he has been a guiding force all my life. As creative professionals we not just share ideas but sometimes even run down ideas."

Chopra who is currently putting his final touches for his next television property called Viraasat, recalls his early life and how dad really helped him shape up all the way.

I have beautiful memories of living in a joint family
I have some very beautiful memories of staying in a joint family. As a three old, I remember, we lived in a close-knit and a traditional household. I can still vividly recall our old house. It was a very small & beautiful two BHK house in Juhu, called Sangeeta apartments. Even Yash Uncle used to stay with us. After coming here from Pakistan, Dad had shifted here during the 1950s.

We used to pay a rent of Rs 230 there. A small and cozy nest which we loved so much that even when our new house was built in 1970s, we didn't want to shift there. Those were the struggling days for my father and the only time we used to find time together was during our holidays. He used to take us for family holidays during our holidays.

Education and family values are very important
During his struggling days, Dad used to be very busy. I used to try and help him at the shoots. I assisted him on Humraaz while I was still in college and later on Aadmi Aur Insaan. In fact, I was all ready to leave college and do films with him. But, somehow, he always wanted me to study further. The value of good education has always stayed with me. Later, when I fianly joined him as an assistant,it was a great high. I learned almost everything about film making from Dad. Films for the family audience, social issues have also been themes close to out heart.

Dad doesn't keep too well nowadays
Dad formed BR films in 1955 to do meaningful cinema. So, no matter what others in the market keep doing, he was committed to social themes and family values.

Till date, I have tried to carry his vision and passion forward. Nowadays, since Dad doesn't keep too well, he doesn't really come on the sets. But I always seek his advice. Whenever I have an idea, I tell him and vice versa.

On the making of the epic Mahabharat

On a creative level we share camaraderie. I worked very closely with Dad on the making of Mahabharata. I think, it became more interesting and popular because it was more contemporary as well as relevant to people's mindset. Mahabharata was addressed to the man of today trapped in the throes of a war-like situation in the society. Now, I desire to make a remake of Mahabharata as a movie and release it internationally.

Baghban was influenced by my parents
My mother and father share a very strong and loving relationship. As a husband and wife they share a special bond. The character of Amitabhji and Hemaji was actually etched from my life. Till date my parents enjoy their ritual of having a cup of tea together. I would say Baghban was really a gift to my parents.

Creative differences with Dad
I wouldn't call them differences but sometime we do have different ideas and as creative people we take a call on what goes best with the story. For Baghban, Dad wanted a different ending. He wanted the story to end in the court but someone that's not what I had visualised. So, finally I went ahead with my idea.

Life is all about balancing out things. Chalking out his life mantra, Abraham Thomas, COO , Red FM says, "I very well know when to switch on and when to switch off. What keeps me going is the ability to manage my stressful work along with quality time with family and that's what keeps me going."

The Red FM office situated in S Mumbai, looks like a real happening place, with some 20 something kids walking in and out of his cabin. Looks like, Red FM is a rather informal place to be in. As Abraham adds, "All youngsters in the company are like a family and therefore there is no formality as such between us."

He further adds, "I joined Red FM as I wanted to utilize all my leadership skills into something more creative and challenging. I was working as Product Manager with Indian Express for eight years and later was with Sony Television as a director sales for three years. Seeing a sudden boom in the radio industry, I took this plunge from being a VP- sales in MTV to now being the COO in RED FM."

A born Mumbaiya, Abraham basically hails from Kerala and loves travelling. He says, "I plan my holidays along with wife Mini, my son Amit (13) and daughter Sanjana (8). I feel this is the only time when my children are actually mine. After a few years they will have their own life and won't like it, if I interfere in their lives. And so I make it a point to spend some quality time with them. So, Friday nights, when I am on my way back, I pull off my switch and don't think about work till Monday morning."

As we get him talking more about his life, Abraham garnishes us with his lovely recipes for a happy living.

"I have fond memories of Venice"
I plan my holidays at least three times a year. Overseas holiday vacations have always been fun. Some of my favourite destinations are Barcelona, Venice, Florida, Spain, and Europe amongst others. I don't really like new and modern cities, but I prefer places like Venice and Barcelona which are historically significant as well as culturally rich.
I have fond memories of Venice. I very clearly remember a small restaurant where we had lunch once. The restaurant had six tables in it which were all full. The hotel was run by a family of four, where the head of the family sat outside with a glass of beer, the son and daughter- in- law took care of the orders and passed it on to the lady in the open kitchen, supposedly their mother. The food was exceptionally tasty and on peeping into the kitchen unbelievingly, I saw the lady cooking alone. Sometimes, I still wonder how she managed all the cooking on her own. Another exciting experience was the Gondola ride. (A gondola is a traditional Venetian rowing boat propelled by an oarsman (the gondolier) who stands facing the bow and pushes, rather than pulls, a single oar.) It was an awesome experience.

"Goa never leaves me unsatisfied"
India is a great tourist destination. There's always so much to explore here. Goa is one place where I can go anytime of the year and I am never tired of it. It always has something new and exciting to offer. It just keeps getting better every time you are there. And the local food out there is just unbeatable. Last year, I had gone to Sikkim with my family which is a splendid beauty. Also, I will always cherish my trip to the majestic Himalayas. I still vividly recall it when we reached a particular height, we could see snow and I felt as if we've reached the top. But as the clouds cleared, I could see no end of the Himalayas and that's when I realised its majesty.

"I can't cook basic food"
I can eat anything and everything, be it grilled, baked, steamed or fried. Though, sea food remains my all time favourite, I even loved trying out oysters in Japan and snails in Malaysia. I am really adventurous when it comes to tying out new cuisine. I try my hand at cooking but that is of course very occasionally. Sometimes, I do try out some exotic dishes over weekends or on special occasions.

"My I Pod is my all time companion"
I have a total of 4,370 songs in my I pod which has been my friend for the past four years now. I love listening to any kind of music be it classical rock, latest and even hip hop. Now a days, I've been trying to keep pace with my children and listen to the latest music.

"I loved Maximum City by Suketu Mehta"
I love reading. Tough, its difficult to find time but I do find some time to catch up on my favourite authors. One book that I can very well. I loved reading Maximum City by Suketu Mehta. This book gives some chilling undercurrents of Mumbai. I liked Richard Branson's Losing Your Virginity and have also read most of John Grisham and Sydney Sheldon.

The "he needs no introduction" line is one that in today's world of hype over substance is oftentimes abused. But there are always exceptions. Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director of Madison Communications most definitely falls into that category. Sam as he's known in the industry is not just one of the most influential voices in the advertising fraternity, but in fact his name is synonymous with the growth of the Indian advertising industry itself.

Known for his quiet aggression, many within his organisation also swear by Balsara's strong leadership qualities as well as hands-on approach.

Careful is one word that immediately comes to mind about the man - in thought, in words and in action. Weighing his words carefully, Balsara says, "The story of my life is really all about the growth of Madison. From a mere three clients and very few resources, we've grown to a 1000 crore (Rs 10 billion) company." That this home grown media agency has caught the envy of many a rival affiliated with global advertisers & marketing groups speaks for itself.

"When I started, I never really thought I had any business acumen. I also did not dream too big. But, today it's been a rather satisfying journey," says the understated Mr Madison Media.

So, here goes, Sam Balsara, on building his company, his philosophy and his family.

Tell us a little bit about your early life?

I was born and brought up in a small town called Balsar. I have some beautiful memories of the place and incidently that's where I get my surname from. My father owned a hereditary business. He was a forest contractor and dealt in timber, but that business folded up and we moved on to Bangalore; where he took the bold step of venturing into the hotel business.

So, entrepreneurship and risk taking runs in your genes?

Well, frankly I never thought I had any business acumen. I was all set to become a CA but since management education was supposed to be a big thing then, I got into the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute. I started off my career with Sarabhai's under Pran Chaudhary, and later spent a good four years at Cadbury's. After eight years in marketing I branched out into advertising. After heading the successful Mumbai office of Mudra, an affiliate of DDB Needham in India, in 1988 I decided to start on my own.

It took me more than 18 years to branch out on my own by taking over an ailing agency called Madison. Today, I am amazed when youngsters with just two or three years start off on their own. It still gives me the feeling of how slow I must have been then.

How has the advertising world changed now? And how has the journey been?

Those days, the advertising world was not such a competitive place. Today, it's a dog eat dog situation. I must confess, during the initial period, my sights were not that high, so the transition from working to starting off on my own was pretty smooth.

It's been a long journey of almost 18 years. It's been fun, exciting and a very satisfying journey.

What was the turning point in the life of Madison?

In the early 90s, when Manmohan Singh liberalised the economy we started looking outward. I realised that life is going to change in India, and so we slightly changed course and decided to partner in equity with an international firm called D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB & B). But for some reason we parted ways after five years.

But did the tie-up help Madison in any way?

Yes, we did grow as a company. They also helped us acquire a few strategic clients at that point in time. But more than that, it exposed us to the world of how multinationals work and function. It also exposed us to the fallacy of their thinking.

I think Indian by nature, learn to achieve a lot more with a lot less. Even with very little resources, one can start something and grow it, without getting into the other trappings like a huge AC office and a huge workforce. This could actually be driving the business in the wrong direction. Even before you've started, one is sort of putting pressure on oneself.

What philosophy drives your company's growth and strategy? Get the right people?

Madison's growth is really the growth of our clients. I tell my people to concentrate on the task in hand. Madison's growth is a byproduct of the client's growth. So, we focus more on our clients than on our own growth strategy. If I look back to the first five years of the company, we had only three clients, so that doesn't mean we didn't grow. We evolved because our clients grew.

Coming back to your personal life, what sort of upbringing did you have and what things have stayed with you that helped along your journey?

I was the youngest in the family and was pampered, but at the same time my parents also instilled discipline in us. One had to always do the right thing at the right time. Also, because of my upbringing, I always respect the value of money and to use it prudently.

I'm pretty religious and visit the fire temple in our colony every morning. Also, I try to live by the basic philosophy of the Parsee religion which is good thoughts, good words and good deeds.

How do you get your people to be aggressive?

At Madison we don't believe in achieving success by hook or crook. We are very strict about our value system and it's definitely not about wanting success at the price of honesty and integrity. I believe that one should never ever venture on a wrong path. If you lie once then you'll keep on lying. Or in business when you've got used to evading taxes, then you get used to doing it.

I've noticed all of us are normally good as individuals but we tend to get naughty in a group. There has to be transparency as well as fair play with out clients. We also try to conserve our resources since we know that we're not a thousand million dollar multinational company.

So, every Madisonite believes in our value system which is all over the walls of our office. We don't just say we want to be the best but we also say how we want to be the best. Also, at Madison we believe in nurturing the best talent and constantly challenging the intellectual ability of people.

How do you get the best out of your people?
I make sure that all my managers think like entrepreneurs. So, when they come to me with a statement like 'we don't understand money' I tell them it's all about understanding the concept of money. It's really as simple as managing your household expenses. Managing your office money or your client's money is no different from that. I think we Indians make very good managers.

What are your personal strengths and weaknesses which have stood you in good stead?

I am hot tempered but only with people who are close to me. I think my wife has to pay a price for this while I am very sugar and sweet to many others in the business. I also try to emphathise with the other person's problem, but sometimes in work situations, this stands in my way.

How do you handle stress?

As an advertising man who goes through so many highs and lows in a day one doesn't really feel stressed. In fact, our system gets used to that level of frenzy. So, if I am relaxed, I feel uncomfortable. It's also the way your body gets conditioned.

Where do you derive your strength from?

I derive my strength from my two daughters. My younger daughter, Lara, works with me and is in charge of business diversification. Someone just told me that there's not much luxury that one can have than having your daughter to work with you. Unfortunately, my elder daughter Tanya is visually handicapped. So, if I ever have any sort of problem, business or otherwise, I just have to look at her and I get my strength. If Tanya, doesn't really let her disability colour her perspective towards life, then I ask myself what am I complaining about?

She's computer literate, loves to party. We've set up an institute for the visually handicapped. It's a constant reminder that life has its problems and how you deal with it. Life is all about appreciating what you have but somehow we get caught up in what we don't have.